interesting topic, i never really thought about it. im no part of the corporate world but i honestly find it strange when a African American has perfectly straight hair. that catches my attention more than when its normal...idk
I grew my near waist length mane from a short nappy cut about 14 years ago.
I wash , condition and love my natural hair. Rather than being a point of discrimination, I find people in position of power even more receptive to me. The self confidence you exude affects how others are receptive to you.
I think my self confidence comes more from maturity than from my tresses. So no. My experience with wearing my hair natural has not been a drawback in business. Quite the contrary, actually.
I hope younger black women will be encouraged to focus more on developing an inner-self rather than what appears or does not appear as the current trend in Vogue or Essence magazines.
Besides being too disinterested in the upkeep of longer hair, I keep mine short because I don't like the attention I may receive from those who are looking for a particular type of black woman which I may look the part but don't play. I enjoy my natural hair too Pat. But I do give in to fighting the gray. I guess I'll stop that when it gets to be more uniform.
My daughters are biracial (Tongan and White) and both have had very curly hair part of their life and straight other times. My oldest daughter had dreadlocks for about 3 years and her exboyfriend, a White boy, grew them after she had hers for about a year. My daughter, who is brown-skinned, almost black-eyed, never had any problems getting a job and got mostly good comments; although, she did have a few negative. Her exboyfriend couldn't get a job for the 2 years he had dreads. He finally got a job through a friend and ended up cutting off the dreads because he was only allowed to work (in a clothing store) if he wore a hat to cover his dreads. However, they were both in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at the time and I found Green Bay very white-bread and prejudiced when I was there, so the community attitude would definitely figure into how the boy's dreads were judged.
On the other hand, I think, as PW says, that a person's own feelings about their race and their looks probably plays a HUGE part in whether they are accepted in the world, business or otherwise. My oldest daughter once met a girl that she became instant friends with, but the 2nd time they met, my daughter was told that the girl wasn't allowed to play with her because my daughter was brown. My oldest daughter, however, doesn't think she should have to let other people create her life experience and within 3 weeks, she was that girl's best friend and had won over the mom. My youngest daughter experienced the same event a few years later with a girl's parents saying she couldn't hang out with her because my daughter was brown. That daughter is pretty passive in creating a life experience, basically just letting the river of daily events wash her this way and that. She never became friends with that girl because she just gave up as soon as the parent voiced her opinion. I can't tell you how many times my kids went through things like that, and every time, it was their attitude that made a difference.
I had to look up Tongan and learned something new.
I've considered having locs but I don't know if my hair would do it in a way I'd find pleasing. My hairdresser friend does "Sisterlocks" and says they wouldn't work on me.
Okay, I've never heard of Sisterlocks, so I'll have to look those up. To be honest, I didn't like my daughters locks because they looked dirty. I've seen others with dreadlocks I liked better. But, once in a while, my daughter would pull them up into little pigtails and then they were cute.
Sisterlocks are appear more "mainstream". They are thicker strands of hair made by interlocking single strands of hair (think of crocheting). They are done in a grid and therefore are easier to part, etc., in a straight line. They are also easier to curl, braid and such. They require a little more care than locks (AKA locs) because they need to be separated after washing in order to keep from locking. They can be very thin and hardly noticeable; that's why they are less "exotic". They (and locks) are easier on black hair and enabled it to grow very long (think of Jamaica's Rastarfarians). My hairdresser's locks are down to her mid-back while my best friend has his almost to his behind (butt).
In 2005 I throw away all the products I used to keep my hair straight. I am biracial, African American and Native American and had the most difficult time with my hair. I have dreadlocks or locs now and love the freedom of not having to do my hair every morning. I thought my locs were going to be an issue for me when I moved to the South. I was so surprised to see so many men with locs. Actually, there are more men with locs here than women.
As for getting a job. After just two months of job hunting, I was offered a job in a IS department with no IS experience and $8000 more than my previous job. My hair was not even a concern. My employer was too impressed with my resume and my skills to even notice my hair.
I am now one of the senior members of the team. I am highly respected because of my work ethnic and professionalism. Perhaps years ago, I would have the job I have if I had dreadlocks. In our society today, employers are more concern about what you can do than what you look like or how you wear your hair.
I must admit when I see a white person with locks, I think they look so grungy but they look great on a person of color.
We are all so unique so why should there be a conformity to style? I think people who are generally insecure will adapt to fads, designer clothes, etc. but I'm a wannabe hippie!
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Comments: 11
I wash , condition and love my natural hair. Rather than being a point of discrimination, I find people in position of power even more receptive to me. The self confidence you exude affects how others are receptive to you.
I think my self confidence comes more from maturity than from my tresses. So no. My experience with wearing my hair natural has not been a drawback in business. Quite the contrary, actually.
I hope younger black women will be encouraged to focus more on developing an inner-self rather than what appears or does not appear as the current trend in Vogue or Essence magazines.
On the other hand, I think, as PW says, that a person's own feelings about their race and their looks probably plays a HUGE part in whether they are accepted in the world, business or otherwise. My oldest daughter once met a girl that she became instant friends with, but the 2nd time they met, my daughter was told that the girl wasn't allowed to play with her because my daughter was brown. My oldest daughter, however, doesn't think she should have to let other people create her life experience and within 3 weeks, she was that girl's best friend and had won over the mom. My youngest daughter experienced the same event a few years later with a girl's parents saying she couldn't hang out with her because my daughter was brown. That daughter is pretty passive in creating a life experience, basically just letting the river of daily events wash her this way and that. She never became friends with that girl because she just gave up as soon as the parent voiced her opinion. I can't tell you how many times my kids went through things like that, and every time, it was their attitude that made a difference.
I had to look up Tongan and learned something new.
I've considered having locs but I don't know if my hair would do it in a way I'd find pleasing. My hairdresser friend does "Sisterlocks" and says they wouldn't work on me.
As for getting a job. After just two months of job hunting, I was offered a job in a IS department with no IS experience and $8000 more than my previous job. My hair was not even a concern. My employer was too impressed with my resume and my skills to even notice my hair.
I am now one of the senior members of the team. I am highly respected because of my work ethnic and professionalism. Perhaps years ago, I would have the job I have if I had dreadlocks. In our society today, employers are more concern about what you can do than what you look like or how you wear your hair.
We are all so unique so why should there be a conformity to style? I think people who are generally insecure will adapt to fads, designer clothes, etc. but I'm a wannabe hippie!